art blog Archives - Thoughtpotarts

Mar

Enjoy Your Failures !

WHAT IS FAILURE ?

“It’s just a push to move forward.”

WHAT IS DISAPPOINTMENT ?

“It’s why you get that push.”

A series of disappointments and failures has shaped my journey.

From abandoning sports and art in school to focus on academics, to working diligently as an employee only to be exploited, leave, and remain unpaid, I’ve experienced my fair share.

Sound familiar?

I’m sure many of you are silently nodding, or perhaps thinking, ‘Not exactly, but I can relate.‘

It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions: anger, frustration, and even fleeting thoughts of revenge (though I’m not one to act on them). But I always end up calming down, believing everything happens for a reason, and trying to find that reason so I can move on.

I gave up sports, but now I work out a lot. For art, I joined the art society in college, and now I’m an artist, video editor, and storyteller. After being an employee, I’ve been my own boss for nearly two years.

But, when things start going well, another disappointment shows up.

Recently, I had my usual events and exhibitions, and they were going great (check my last blog). Then, I joined another event, and I was excited about getting noticed and trying something new.

But, you know, disappointment shows up to give you that push.

This two-day event became my lesson.

Day one was a disaster!

Everything felt wrong: the weather, the event, my stall, the people, my mood, everything! I felt angry, frustrated, and anxious.

But, I’m kind of stubborn about finding the reason behind things. So, instead of succumbing to these emotions, I decided to approach day two with a fresh perspective.

I told myself, “Whatever happens, I’m staying calm and enjoying the day.“

And you know what?

Day two was much better! While my stall didn’t meet my expectations, the event ended on a peaceful note.

I’m sharing this because I learned some things about dealing with failure.

So as a friend, here’s some advice from me to you:

A calm mind is like a magnet. If you stay calm, you’ll see things differently.
A stressed-out brain is friends with fear. It brings all the negative feelings.
Worrying too much about results is tiring. Just do your best and let go of the rest.
Stop expecting so much and start experiencing more. You can control your effort, not the outcome.

These are the lessons from my last event. It feels like déjà vu, as I often find myself battling negative emotions until my overthinking brain intervenes, steering me back to sanity.

Hope you enjoy your failures and keep moving forward.

Cheers!

Thank you so much for reading.

Lots of Love,

Thoughtpotarts

May

Always be a Student

Recently, I finished reading Show your work, one of the three books by Austin Kleon. The other two books are Steal Like an Artist and Keep Going. I have planned to re-read them.

In the chapter ‘Begin Again‘ of Show your Work, Austin Kleon explained that one should never settle for being a master in just one subject but always be ready to learn something new and grow.

As a curious and impatient individual, I’m always trying new things, such as styles and mediums of art, representing ideas in different ways, etc. And this has made me face plenty of questions regarding my specialty during job interviews since the areas of work have always been diverse.

Does this make me a master in all the things on my list?

No, I am not a master because I believe once you master something, an evolution of that subject happens. A simple example would be Adobe Flash turning to Adobe Animate and the use of Adobe Animate turning to Toonboom Harmony or even classical animation turning to 3D animation. Evolution and growth are unstoppable.

Imagine if Windox XP continued to date, or the level of technology was still the same as it was in the early 90s or something!

Everything needs to grow, which does not mean that whatever was there previously or whatever you have learned to date has expired. It is with you. The only thing that happens is an enhancement and expansion of you along with your skills to grow and move ahead.

And that is what Austin Kleon also explained. A new beginning is what everyone needs, again and again, to move on.

Recently, I have been sharing Character designs using reference photos. And that is something new to me. It has been an exciting development in my art journey. I enjoy doing it for two reasons: firstly, it has improved my ability to design characters, and secondly, it has enabled me to use my other skills, like doodling, inking style, etc, to create something unique. I believe what I am trying to share is understandable now 😉

So, why I wrote this Blog?

I wrote it because I wanted to share with you that wherever you are, at whatever age you are, plus if you feel stuck, just become a student again, a child, and learn something new and move ahead.

Remember, I made fridge magnets recently and also made character designs!

(Did you check the video? 😉

Relax, Breathe, be a child, a student, and keep moving forward with a positive mind and belief.